


Cozy

by nightcourthighlordrhysand



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 06:47:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10803945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightcourthighlordrhysand/pseuds/nightcourthighlordrhysand
Summary: Prompt: Accidentally fell asleep on each other on the train au Elain being the first to wake up to Lucien’s snoring.





	Cozy

Elain stepped onto the train with a rather childish but simultaneously endearing hop, her skirt curling around stocking clad legs and well worn leathery boots with fur that warmed her ankles but left the rest at the mercy of mid winter’s biting chill.

Securing her slightly wonky home knit hat, Elain gripped the strap of her pack and walked down the cramped aisle, offering fellow passengers kind smiles and murmured greetings as they allowed her to pass.

Eyeing her ticket, she slowed her pace, watching for her row with brown eyes bright with excitement.  She hadn’t seen Feyre in nearly three months, and Nesta had gone ahead to get some business done before the holiday, leaving Elain mostly on her own for the last two weeks.  Besides, her fairly messy break up six months before had left her significantly more lonely and extremely gun shy. But she was fine, and Elain was a reasonably self-sufficient modern woman, none of which made her miss her sisters any less.

A small smile spread across her face at the thought of the mere hours that separated her from a week long reunion, reacquainting herself with Feyre’s fiance, and an anticipated first introduction to Nesta’s not so secret beau. 

Soon enough, Elain reached row 6H and lifted her travel bag high to fit in the overhead bin, tilting back slightly at the weight only to have two warm hands grip her waist gently, “Easy there.”

Still unseen, the stranger’s hands reached overhead to shove the bag further back before he stepped away as Elain blushed and offered her thanks, tucking a stray honey colored lock behind her ear.

The man grinned, eyes seemingly drinking her in somewhat subtly, his flush matching hers.  Neither spoke as Elain mirrored his actions, taking stock of his distinctive russet eyes, one marred by a slim scar, long auburn hair held in a ponytail behind his broad shoulders.

Eyes dancing merrily when her gaze returned to his, he lifted his own beat up dark leather back pack onto the rack and gestured for her to slip into her seat first, before he settled into his own gracefully.

The ticket inspector came by before long, leaving without incident as Elain rifled through her carry for her iphone and earbuds, securing them in her lap as she shifted around to get comfortable for the long journey, her fellow passenger doing the same. When she glanced up, his deep russet eyes were trained on her thoughtfully, not hesitating when she caught him looking, offering a small smile in a seeming effort to convey friendliness.

Elain mirrored his expression, going about her business until the silence was broken by the sounds of the train readying to begin the trip.

“Lucien,” her seat mate offered, clearing his throat somewhat nervously.

She looked up, caught off guard, but smiled, blushing slightly, “Elain.”

Lucien nodded his head, hesitating slightly as if he intended to say more, before a light flush rose up the back of his neck, and he put his headphones in and pulled his hood over his head.

Quirking a brow quizzically, Elain shook her head slightly but let the oddity drop, wriggling back into the plush seat as she tucked her earbuds in and selected the playlist she’d built specifically for the trip, letting her eyes drift closed, long lashes dusting across her lightly freckled cheeks. As the calming strains of her favorite relaxing music began, Elain found herself being rocked to sleep by the steady thrum of the train on its steely tracks.

_Early afternoon sunlight cut through the slats of the pristine white blinds, yellow slivers kissing across the tufted armchair and warming Elain’s eyelids. Slowly, she sat up against the back of the buttery leather settee running her fingers through her sleep mussed hair habitually. The warm house was filled with quiet calm, only the sound of some unidentified housemate puttering in an adjacent room. Biting back a yawn she stood and moved to explore the house, following the muffled sounds to what appeared to be the kitchen._

_A man stood facing away from her, auburn hair pulled into a low ponytail that brushed his bare broad shoulders, muscled torso tapering into narrow hips, low slung sweatpants bearing his toned body to the world._

_Slowly he turned around, two steaming mugs in hand and surprised grin tickling his lips, “Up already?”_

_Just as she opened her mouth to reply, a rumbling noise echoed from outside the cozy home, although her lovely companion didn’t seem to notice, walking closer and offering one of the mugs casually, as if this was a regular occurance._

_He closed the distance between them, lips upturned as they hovered over hers, eyes twinkling happily as he moved forward, their breaths mixing, Elain’s eyes fluttering closed, heart thumping in anticipation, ears filled with the rush of blood._

_Lips about to brush, another rumble, louder and longer this time –_ and Elain was wrenched back to reality and consciousness, one earbud trailing along the seat, neck tight with the awkward position of her apparent departure from the waking world.

As she slowly took in her surroundings, noting the lush countryside decorated with a sparse blanket of powdery snow, Elain found a warm scent – like cinnamon and pine – swirling through her senses enticingly, hot exhales brushing her exposed collarbone not unpleasantly. _Far from it in fact…_

Shifting ever so subtly, she eyed her formerly hesitant acquaintance whose face was currently nuzzled into the crook of her neck, cheekbone jutting into her chin as he let out another rumbling snore.

Elain smirked, debating the best method to wake him – Lucien – without making things too uncomfortable. For a moment, she debated the pros and cons of letting him remain on her shoulder, and just as she had chosen the path of least resistance, her fingers began to tingle and she developed an unreachable itch on her left shin.

Before she had a chance to choose between nudging him gently and leaping from the seat in a dramatic ‘rip off the bandaid’ fashion, the stranger – _Lucien_ – smacked his lips together, before sitting up abruptly.

A brilliant blush spread across his cheeks as he swept the corners of his mouth with an embarrassed hand, eyes avoiding hers as he murmured, “Sorry.”

The red in her cheeks rivaled his as she smoothed her braid, “No, it’s alright.” _If you only knew what kind of dream I was having about you…_

“What?”

“Oh. Er- nothing?” Elain offered hopefully, wrapping her headphones neatly to give her hands something to do.

Lucien’s eyes danced playfully but to Elain’s everlasting gratitude, he let the subject pass and chose a new one, “So where are you off to for the holiday?”

“Family. My sisters specifically,” Elain answered, face glowing happily, “I think I’m finally meeting the oldest’s ‘secret’ boyfriend.”

The red head let out a hearty chuckle, “Sounds exciting. Are you going to pre-empt her announcement to show off your detective skills?”

Snickering, Elain shook her head, holding out her bag of pretzels in offering, “Nah, it’s more about her finally letting go of her denial. We’ve all known. Worst kept secret in the family. Well that and the fact that we’ve all walked in on Feyre and Rhys doing it.”

Lucien crunched on a pretzel, “Rhys?”

Elain hummed, “Yup. Short for Rhysand. Pretty unsual, eh? I’d never heard it before.”

His eyes narrowed further, “And Feyre?”

Trying to tamp down her uneasiness at his mini interrogation, Elain nodded, cautiously eyeing the ‘call’ button on her arm rest, “Yes. Is there a problem?”

Apparently realizing the effect his questions and overall strange behavior were having on his companion, Lucien let a comforting smile ripple across his face, “Sorry. It’s just I know a couple with those same names. And I’m on my way to visit them, among other people, for the holiday.”

Slightly pacified and fairly confident he wasn’t some crazed stranger who trolled trains for lonely women during the holidays, Elain let her shoulders relax, previously unaware that they’d nearly risen to her ears. Tucking one leg underneath her as she angled her back against the window, Elain fiddled with her tights, “How likely d’you suppose it is we’re talking about two different couples.”

Lucien chuckled, “Not very.”

“Feyre Archeron?”

He nodded.

“I’ve never heard of you.”

Grinning, Lucien swiped another pretzel, “Lucky for us I’m so out of practice flirting with women or this would’ve been a very awkward Christmas.”

Elain crunched on a pretzel, eyes widening, “Flirting?”

Apparently unaware of her rapidly increasing hearbeat, Lucien hummed, a smirk flickering around his lips – _lips that in her dream she’d almost_ …“Back in the day I might’ve gotten past helping you with your bag and introducing myself.”

She forced out a somewhat choked chuckle, unscrewing the cap on her soda jerkily and taking a healthy swig.

“Sorry. That probably made you uncomfortable,” Lucien murmured, picking at a thread on his jeans, “I’m not _trying_ to be creepy.”

Despite her flush, Elain smiled comfortingly, “No. It’s just you’re so attractive and then my dream-”

She cut herself off abruptly, hand covering her still open mouth as Lucien’s gaze returned to hers, “Dream?”

Elain bit her lip, _well you’ve gone this far, genius_ , “I dreamed we were… _together_ and we were about to kiss.”   _And you were deliciously shirtless._

Leaning forward to keep their nosy aisle mate out of the conversation, Lucien whispered, “How was it?”

Somewhat breathless, Elain matched his movement, fingers brushing his on their shared armrest, “I- we didn’t- I woke up.”

“Care to find out?”

Giggling – _yes giggling_ – Elain’s fingers twitched between his calloused ones, “Wow. That was smooth. I’d hate to see how good you are _in_ practice. It would be scandalous to be… _unkempt_ when we arrive at the station.”

Lucien’s eyes darted down to her parted lips, his knee pressing against hers underneath the armrest, “I could always help you re-groom yourself.”

Taking a deep breat, Elain wrenched her hands from his and tossed her braid back over one shoulder. Bracing himself for a sound rejection, Lucien tried to tamp down his panic, _you’ve gone too far friend_.

Before he could open his mouth to apologize, warm, smooth lips were on his depressingly unresponsive ones. Fearing this meant she’d misread the signals, Elain pulled back a breath, face heating as she realized she’d be forced to spend the next week with the uninterested stranger she’d made out with on the train, only for him to surge forward, fingers knitting through her honey colored locks as he tugged her closer.

Sighing into the kiss, she let her tongue swipe through his mouth gently, as he bit back a moan. Close cropped fingernails running across his scalp, Elain made to tilt her head back, inviting him to explore her jaw and that little spot behind her ear, when the aforementioned nosy neighbor cleared his throat imperiously.

Pulling away and looking remarkably debauched for the brevity of their encounter, Lucien smoothed his rumpled hair somewhat abashed, “I feel I should tell you this really isn’t a play I use on unsuspecting train passengers.”

“If it was I’d tell you there are a few kinks to work out.”

“You mean drooling on your shoulder wasn’t a great move?” Lucien laughed a little nervously.

Steeling herself, Elain blew out a breath, “Go out with me?”

Reaching over to link their fingers, a broad smile spread across Lucien’s face, “Yeah.”


End file.
